Seahawks defensive end and former Lion Cliff Avril said he has nothing but good memories of Detroit: 'It's unfortunate it didn't work out back then.' / Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

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Detroit Free Press Sports Writer

Seahawks defensive end and former Lion Cliff Avril said he has nothing but good memories of Detroit: 'It's unfortunate it didn't work out back then.' / Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

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JERSEY CITY, N.J. — The multimillion-dollar bet Cliff Avril made on himself a year and a half ago is six days away from a big payout.

Avril, the Seattle Seahawks’ defensive end who spent the first five years of his career with the Lions, turned down a three-year contract worth a potential $30 million from the Lions in the summer of 2012 in hopes of landing a richer deal in free agency last off-season.

Avril didn’t get the mega contract he was seeking. He signed a two-year deal with the Seahawks last March that will pay him, at most, $14.4 million.

But with his Seahawks preparing for their Super Bowl showdown with the Denver Broncos, Avril couldn’t be happier with his decision.

“It’s a business,” Avril said Sunday at a Super Bowl news conference at the Jersey City Westin. “I’ve been saying that from years past. It’s a business, I understand it, it is what it is. It’s working out for me, I can’t complain. Once again, I’m here at the Super Bowl talking to y’all guys, so I can’t complain at all.”

A third-round pick out of Purdue in 2008, Avril was the Lions’ best pass rusher for most of his five seasons in Detroit. He had 39½ sacks in 73 games, and was a big reason the Lions made the playoffs in 2011.

But when he hit free agency last spring, the Lions never made Avril an offer and decided to put their resources elsewhere.

The Lions signed three starters in the first 24 hours of free agency last year: Reggie Bush, Glover Quin and Jason Jones, and general manager Martin Mayhew said at the time bringing Avril back “probably would have cost us two players.”

“We didn’t talk at all last off-season,” Avril said Sunday. “I mean, I think they were just ready to move on, which is understandable. They probably studied some guys in the draft that could replace me. But again, I’m not tripping over it.”

When Avril signed with the Seahawks last year, it came as one of the biggest surprises of free agency.

Avril got less money than most thought he would on the open market, but he said Sunday he got more guaranteed money in his deal with the Seahawks ($11 million, including a portion of next year’s salary that guarantees next month) and from playing 2012 on the franchise tag with the Lions ($10.6 million) than he would have had he signed the Lions’ original three-year offer.

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And, of course, has a chance to win a Super Bowl ring next Sunday that he wouldn’t have had had he stayed in Detroit.

“It’s not like I’m making pennies, so I can’t complain,” Avril said. “I’m fortunate enough to be where I’m at right now and there’s definitely no bitterness.”

In Seattle, Avril has put up similar numbers to what he did in Detroit — he had eight sacks and five forced fumbles in 15 regular-season games — splitting time at defensive end with Michael Bennett and Chris Clemons.

Avril said a handful of his former Lions teammates have reached out to him in recent weeks, including Louis Delmas, Stephen Tulloch, Ndamukong Suh, Calvin Johnson and Nate Burleson.

All have expressed how happy they are for him, and some have said they wished he stayed in Detroit.

“I appreciate my opportunity in Detroit,” Avril said. “We had a blast. Obviously, we didn’t win much but that one season, but I had a blast there. I have nothing but good memories of Detroit, honestly. Just unfortunate things didn’t work out. I mean, fortunately for me it’s working out right now, but it’s unfortunate it didn’t work out back then.”

Note: This nice story about Kevin Lee, a kid from Farmington with heart issues, meeting his heroes on the Seahawks is making the rounds on ESPN again today.